General Manager

Chaplin’s is looking for an experienced, driven, and hospitality-focused General Manager to lead our team and oversee the day-to-day operation of the restaurant.

We’re looking for someone who understands that being a great GM is about more than running a shift. This person will take ownership of the restaurant as a whole—the team, the guest experience, the numbers, the culture, and ultimately the success of the business.

Chaplin’s is busy, energetic, personality-driven, and deeply rooted in its neighborhood. We want a GM who can maintain what makes Chaplin’s special while bringing structure, accountability, consistency, and strong financial management to the operation.

The General Manager will work directly with ownership and our culinary leadership to oversee all aspects of Chaplin’s operations.

You will be responsible for building and developing a strong management and hourly team, maintaining excellent hospitality standards, controlling costs, driving revenue, and ensuring that the restaurant is operating efficiently and profitably.

This is a hands-on leadership position. We want a GM who knows the numbers but is also on the floor—talking to guests, supporting the team, watching service, solving problems, and setting the tone for the restaurant.

TEAM & LEADERSHIP

• Lead, develop, and hold the management team accountable

• Recruit, hire, train, and retain strong FOH employees

• Establish clear expectations and consistently follow through

• Create and maintain staff schedules based on projected business and labor goals

• Conduct productive manager and staff meetings

• Develop managers and employees who show potential for growth

• Address performance issues quickly, fairly, and professionally

• Create a positive culture built around teamwork, accountability, hospitality, and respect

• Maintain consistent communication between ownership, management, FOH, bar, and kitchen teams

OPERATIONS & SERVICE

• Oversee all daily restaurant operations

• Maintain a visible leadership presence during peak services

• Ensure opening, service, and closing procedures are consistently followed

• Maintain high standards for hospitality, cleanliness, organization, and restaurant appearance

• Oversee reservations, table management, and guest flow

• Handle guest concerns and recover experiences when necessary

• Develop relationships with regular guests and continue building Chaplin’s neighborhood following

• Ensure managers are completing accurate and useful end-of-day reports

• Maintain proper cash-handling, deposit, comp, discount, and void procedures

• Ensure the restaurant remains compliant with applicable health, safety, alcohol, and employment requirements

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & COST CONTROL

The GM should understand the business behind the restaurant and be comfortable taking ownership of financial performance.

Responsibilities include:

• Monitor weekly and monthly sales performance

• Manage labor costs through intelligent scheduling and active floor management

• Work with ownership and culinary leadership to maintain appropriate food and beverage costs

• Understand inventory levels, purchasing, product usage, and cost of goods

• Review inventory and identify waste, over-ordering, theft, or unexplained variances

• Monitor overtime and unnecessary labor

• Review comps, discounts, voids, and other areas of potential revenue loss

• Understand the restaurant P&L and work with ownership to improve profitability

• Establish and track operational goals and KPIs

• Look for opportunities to increase revenue without compromising the guest experience

SALES & GUEST EXPERIENCE

A successful GM shouldn't simply manage the business that walks through the door—they should help grow it.

• Identify opportunities to increase covers and average guest spend

• Help drive repeat business and guest retention

• Work with ownership on promotions, events, partnerships, and programming

• Support private events and large-party business

• Ensure staff understands the menu and can confidently guide and sell to guests

• Build a strong culture of hospitality and thoughtful suggestive selling

• Pay attention to guest feedback and online reviews and identify recurring opportunities for improvement

The ideal candidate is a restaurant professional who is equally comfortable leading a Saturday night service and reviewing the numbers on Monday afternoon.

You should be:

• An experienced restaurant General Manager or senior AGM ready to take the next step

• Experienced in high-volume restaurant and/or bar operations

• A strong and confident leader

• Financially minded and comfortable working with budgets, labor, inventory, and cost controls

• Excellent at hiring, training, coaching, and developing people

• Highly organized and detail-oriented

• Proactive rather than reactive

• Comfortable making decisions and taking ownership

• Guest-focused and naturally hospitable

• Able to communicate clearly with employees, managers, chefs, vendors, and ownership

• Comfortable working nights, weekends, holidays, and peak services

• Interested in building a restaurant for the long term—not simply managing shifts

Chaplin’s is a neighborhood-driven restaurant and bar in Washington, DC, known for Japanese-inspired food, cocktails, ramen, late nights, and a lively atmosphere.

We take what we do seriously without taking ourselves too seriously.

Chaplin’s should feel fun, welcoming, energetic, and full of personality for our guests while operating with discipline, organization, and accountability behind the scenes.

We are looking for a General Manager who understands both sides of that equation and is excited to take ownership of the restaurant, develop a great team, and help us continue growing.

If you love restaurants, love people, understand the numbers, and want to lead a restaurant you can truly take ownership of, we’d love to meet you.